Conventional end seal members used in electrophotographic image-forming devices include sealing members comprising foamed bodies, sealing members comprising nonwoven fabrics, sealing members comprising implanted fibers, sealing members comprising piled woven fabrics, sealing members comprising knit fabrics, and so forth. The aforementioned sealing members are often used as end seal members at toner carriers where surfaces of rotating bodies constituting toner carriers are partially exposed.
Among these, as a seal structure at an end of a rotating body, a structure is disclosed in which there is a sleeve over which an inclined sealing member is affixed to form an inclined ridge, and this inclined ridge is employed as toner guide to control leakage of toner to the exterior (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 1). Furthermore, sealing members having structures equipped with inclined grooves have also been disclosed (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 2 or Patent Reference No. 3). Moreover, sealing structures have also been disclosed in which screen printing is used to cause application of steps comprising sealing members having projecting patterns serving as inwardly directed guides in axial directions on end sheets (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 4). Moreover, sealing members made from woven fabric members having projecting woven mesh interstices unlike those which are pile-woven have been disclosed (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 5 and Patent Reference No. 6).
However, with structures in which, to prevent leakage of toner, i.e., developer, which serves as toner in conventional electrophotographic image-forming devices, flow of toner is controlled so that leakage prevention can be carried out (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 1), there is occurrence of slight leakage of toner, and furthermore, the additional torque which acts on the sleeve is high. That is, where a guide member which causes return of toner is provided on a sleeve, because this guide member which causes return of toner is at one location sheet-like and engages in surface contact, as the area over which it contacts the sleeve is large and as it comprises a single-step guide member, there is increased tendency for leakage of toner to occur, and increased additional torque which acts on the sleeve.
Furthermore, at sealing members having structures equipped with inclined grooves (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 2 or Patent Reference No. 3), the sealing member is an elastic body, and because the elastic body is deformed by the drive force which is produced by contact with the develop roller, this causes weakening of the effect whereby toner is controlled and made to return.
Furthermore, with sealing structures that are applied by printing (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 4), because the guide comprises a step which is produced by screen printing, it is difficult to sharply form the edge which will serve as guide.
Moreover, with sealing members comprising woven fabric which does not possess cut pile but which is woven fabric in which the yarn is raised in wavelike fashion, peaks and valleys being arranged so as to be at different locations (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 7), because the peaks and valleys mutually differ with each different layer, such that a linear guide is not constituted therefrom, woven fabric having such wavelike structure will be of a structure that is unstable with respect to the upper and lower regions therein, and will be unsatisfactory for use as a sealing member.
Furthermore, in the foregoing sealing members that have structures in which steps comprising overlapping portions in a woven fabric are arranged in regular fashion so as to produce an inclined configuration (e.g., see Patent Reference No. 5 and Patent Reference No. 6), this is woven fabric which is woven in a weave pattern of a single type, being twill weave or oblique brocade weave, and this is a sealing member in which the woven mesh interstices where warp yarns and weft yarns intersect are formed in inclined fashion, warp yarns at the surface forming projecting woven mesh interstices having an inclined configuration, the warp yarns being parallel to the direction of rotation. For this reason, while projecting regions are formed in inclined fashion at the surface, because the warp yarns are in the direction of rotation, toner flows along the warp yarns, such that a structure is not achieved in which the effect due to projecting regions of inclined configuration permits flow of toner to be adequately controlled. Grease-like fluorinated lubricants have therefore been applied, and attempts have been made to improve seal characteristics as a result of effects produced by such lubricants, but it can hardly be said that such structures have been adequate as sealing members. Conventional sealing member art has thus not quite been capable of achieving sufficient practicality with respect to toner leakage and toner control, and it might also be said that the technological foundation has been less than clear.